wulerrp.sc@education.vic.gov.au

Newsletter 17

14 August 2026

Calendar

Upcoming Dates

Term Three

Wednesday 19 August	Curriculum Day - no students
Wednesday 26 August	Year 7 2027 Parent Information Evening
Tuesday 1 September	Student, Parent, Teacher Conferences no classes held - students are expected to attend the conference with their parent/s
Friday 18 September	Last Day of Term Three - Early Dismissal 2:30pm

Principal's Report

We have started our planning and recruitment for staff for 2027 and are well underway with staffing with seven staff appointed, five pending and three more to advertise.

Our planning for Year 9 will be shared with Year 8 parents shortly, consisting of core subjects to further develop learning in preparation for VCE with students having choice for electives in Arts and Technology. Year 10 will consist of English, Maths, Careers and Growth as core subjects with many more elective subjects available for student choice. In 2029, we will start the full VCE Program for Year 11 students which includes the VCE Vocational Major. We currently have staff qualified in the range of VCE subjects and with VCE teaching experience.

Students have been very settled this term, in winter we tend to have less events, although students are still participating in sporting events and our teams are experiencing success. Our Year 7 Table Tennis students won their divisional event and other students have participated in AFL Football, Badminton and Basketball. Thank you to Mr McConnell for his organisation of Sport in the school and other staff who train students and supervise on the day.

First Nations students and School Captains will attend the Echoes of Country Day at Bunjil Place which is a full day experience to nurture and build a sense of inclusion, respect for diversity and perseverance for our Koorie Kids. Last year students contributed to an art work (see below).

We applied for places at the department’s School for Student Leadership for Year 9 student leaders next year. We have been successful in gaining 5 places in Term 3 at the Don Valley campus. There is a charge for students to attend and board for 8 weeks at the school. Information about the application process will be shared with parents and students shortly.

School for Student Leadership - Don Valley Campus | Don Valley VIC | Facebook

Our SRC have held several events: the NAIDOC Week activities in Growth classes and the Art and Hackathon Competitions. Eleven students represented the school at the Casey Council Youth Climate Summit recently with a special mention to Senuki for their enthusiasm and participation. The students will share ideas for further projects at the next SRC Meeting.







Our next Student/Parent/Teacher Conferences are on Tuesday, 1 September. It is a great opportunity for students and their parents/carers to speak to teachers about learning. As it is a day where classes are not being held, we expect students to attend with their parents.

I look forward to seeing parents in the school again.

Reading at home is vital for learning growth in all subject areas at all levels of the school.

Attendance at school every day, except for when a student is unwell, is vital for learning growth and avoiding learning gaps. We ask that parents do not plan to take holidays during school time.

Leanne Winfield
Principal

Junior School Report

Welcome Back to Term 3

Welcome back to Term 3! We hope all of our students and families had a safe, relaxing and enjoyable winter break. It has been wonderful to welcome our Year 7 and Year 8 students back to school and to see them settle into the new term so seamlessly. Students have returned well-rested, positive and ready to learn and it has been fantastic to see classrooms filled with enthusiasm, engagement and a strong commitment to learning from the very first day.

Staff vs Student Cup
We finished Term 2 on a high with our inaugural Staff vs Student Cup Volleyball Competition. This was a fantastic way to celebrate the end of the semester and bring our school community together in a fun and friendly competition.

The event featured the Year 7 Students vs Year 7 Staff and the Year 8 Students vs Year 8 Staff, with both staff teams narrowly claiming victory after some incredibly competitive matches. Our students demonstrated outstanding sportsmanship, teamwork and determination, pushing the staff throughout each game and making every point count.

To conclude the event, our Year 7 students took on the Year 8 students in an exciting match that had everyone cheering from the sidelines. The Year 8 team managed to secure the win by only a small margin, highlighting the talent and competitive spirit across both year levels.

The atmosphere throughout the afternoon was incredible. Students and staff filled the gym with energy, encouragement and school spirit, cheering one another on regardless of who was playing. Events such as these are an important part of building positive relationships, strengthening our school culture and creating lasting memories for our students. We look forward to continuing the Staff vs Student Cup tradition with many more events in the future.

Attendance Matters
Regular attendance is one of the most important factors contributing to a student's success at school. Every lesson provides valuable learning opportunities and missing classes can result in gaps in knowledge that become increasingly difficult to recover. The learning that takes place in Years 7 and 8 establishes the foundation for students' future learning throughout their senior secondary years.

We ask all families to support their child's education by scheduling family holidays during the school holiday periods wherever possible. This ensures students have the greatest opportunity to engage in classroom learning, collaborate with their peers and continue building their academic skills without interruption.

If your child is absent due to illness or needs to leave school early for an appointment, please ensure that the absence is explained through Compass as soon as possible. For absences due to medical or illness-related reasons, a medical certificate should also be uploaded to Compass to support the absence. Prompt communication allows us to accurately monitor attendance and ensure the safety and wellbeing of all students.

Thank you for your ongoing support in helping us maintain strong attendance and engagement across the college.

Uniform Expectations
We appreciate the continued support of families in ensuring students arrive at school each day wearing the correct school uniform. Wearing the uniform correctly reflects pride in our college, promotes a sense of belonging and contributes to a positive learning environment.

A reminder of our uniform expectations:

Academic Uniform: Students must wear the approved academic black pants. Plain black track pants are not permitted with the academic uniform.
PE Uniform: Plain black track pants may only be worn with the Physical Education uniform on PE days.
- Year 8 PE Days: Wednesday and Friday
- Year 7 PE Days: Tuesday and Thursday
Black track pants must not be flared, as they present an Occupational Health and Safety concern.

Students who do not meet the college uniform expectations will receive the appropriate consequences in line with our school policies. We ask for the continued support of parents and carers in ensuring students leave home each morning wearing the correct uniform.

Our uniform is something we take great pride in, as it represents our college values, strengthens our sense of community and reinforces high expectations for all students.

Looking Ahead to 2027
Although we have only just begun Term 3, planning is already well underway for the 2027 school year. This is always an exciting time as we begin preparing to welcome the next cohort of Year 7 students to our college. Throughout this term, members of our leadership team will be visiting local primary schools, meeting with Grade 6 teachers and participating in transition meetings to ensure we gain a comprehensive understanding of each student's academic, social and wellbeing needs before they commence secondary school. We are committed to making the transition from primary school to secondary school as smooth and positive as possible. Building strong partnerships with our feeder primary schools and families allows us to provide every new student with the best possible start to their secondary education. We look forward to meeting our future students and families over the coming months and continuing to build a strong, connected and supportive school community.

Harveen Khera
Assistant Principal - Junior School

Student Leadership Workshop

At Wulerrp Secondary College, we believe leadership is more than wearing a badge or holding a title. It is about service, responsibility, and making a positive difference in the lives of others.

In Term 2, our School Captains, Vice Captains, House Captains and SRC representatives came together for our inaugural Student Leadership Workshop Day, a full-day program designed to build the knowledge, skills and confidence required to lead our school community.

Throughout the day, students participated in a range of interactive workshops, team challenges and leadership simulations that encouraged them to think critically, communicate effectively and work collaboratively. Activities challenged students to consider what authentic leadership looks like, develop their communication and teamwork skills, navigate leadership under pressure, and solve real-world school challenges.

A highlight of the workshop was the "Wulerrp in Crisis" challenge, where leadership teams worked together to develop practical solutions to genuine school improvement priorities, including building a stronger sense of connectedness, promoting respect, improving school spirit and supporting student wellbeing. Students presented innovative ideas that will now help inform the work of our Student Representative Council throughout the year.

The workshop concluded with students developing personal leadership commitments and collaborative action plans that will guide their work in 2026. These initiatives will be explored and refined during our fortnightly leadership meetings, ensuring that student voice continues to play an important role in shaping our school community.

At Wulerrp, we are committed to developing leaders who lead with integrity, empathy and purpose. We are incredibly proud of the enthusiasm, maturity and creativity shown by our student leaders throughout the day and look forward to seeing their ideas come to life as they work together to make Wulerrp a place where every student feels heard, valued and that they belong.

We congratulate all of our 2026 student leaders and thank them for their willingness to step forward and serve our school community. We are excited to see the positive impact they will have throughout the year.

Kavitha Kannan
Humanities Teacher/Leader

Year 7 Onigiri Day

A group of lucky Year 7 Japanese students recently took part in our first Japanese event Onigiri Day, enjoying a hands-on Japanese cultural experience during lunchtime.

Students gathered in the Food Technology classroom to make their own onigiri (Japanese rice balls), learning about one of Japan's most popular and traditional foods while working together to prepare and enjoy their creations. The session was filled with excitement, laughter, and plenty of smiles as students embraced the opportunity to experience Japanese culture beyond the classroom.

It was fantastic to see students enthusiastically participate, support one another, and represent our Japanese program so positively throughout the event.

A special thank you to Mr. Dyer and Ms. Lechte for organising this wonderful event, and to our Japanese teachers for sharing their knowledge and helping provide an authentic cultural experience. Another big thank you to all the students who participated and helped make Onigiri Day such a success.

We hope everyone enjoyed the experience, and we look forward to providing more opportunities for students to explore Japanese language and culture in the future.

Enjoy some of the highlights from Onigiri Day below!

Hikari Hyodo Mavis Lee
Japanese Teacher Japanese Teacher

Frank Wu Andrew Dyer
Japanese Teacher English & Food Technology Teacher

Year 7 Humanities Excursion

Geography Fieldwork – St. Germain
Throughout Weeks 6–8 of Term 2, our Year 7 students completed their Geography fieldwork excursion to St. Germain Central Shopping Centre. This excursion provided students with the opportunity to apply their classroom learning in a real-world context, focusing on the key inquiry: “How liveable is the Clyde North community, and how has urbanisation shaped the area?”

Key Learning Highlights

Safety & Stability
Students evaluated how safe the area is for pedestrians by investigating road crossings, traffic management, lighting and public safety features. They considered how these elements contribute to the liveability of a growing suburb.

Infrastructure
Students identified and assessed key infrastructure, including transport, public facilities, recreational spaces and accessibility features. They explored how infrastructure supports the daily needs of residents and connects people to services.

Environment & Community
Students observed green spaces, public areas and community facilities, examining how these features contribute to wellbeing, recreation and a sense of place within the local community.

Healthcare & Education
Students investigated the availability of healthcare and education services, evaluating how access to these essential services supports healthy and connected communities.

Fieldwork Skills
Throughout the excursion, students:

collected and recorded primary fieldwork data
made geographical observations of the local environment
evaluated evidence using liveability criteria

The hands-on approach allowed students to move beyond theory and work as geographers, investigating their local area through observation, data collection and evidence-based analysis. This excursion gave students valuable insight into the features that make communities liveable, inspiring them to consider how thoughtful planning can enhance the places where we live.

Connection to Assessment Task
The fieldwork experience directly informed students' Geography assessment, where they:

evaluate the liveability of the St. Germain area using fieldwork evidence
analyse how urbanisation has influenced the local community
propose practical recommendations to improve liveability

We would like to thank our Humanities staff for organising the fieldwork experience and to all staff who supported students across the three weeks. We were extremely impressed with the way students engaged with the fieldwork and approached each investigation with curiosity, teamwork and respect. Their enthusiasm for learning and willingness to think critically about their local community made this a highly successful and rewarding experience.

Kavitha Kannan Jennifer O'Leary
Humanities Teacher/Leader Humanities Teacher/Leader

Library Report

We have been celebrating NAIDOC Week in the library throughout this term. During library lessons, we have highlighted our Indigenous Books collection, showcasing the outstanding works of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander authors and the rich traditional knowledges they share. This year's theme, 50 Years Deadly, commemorates the 50th anniversary of NAIDOC Week and celebrates the resilience, leadership, and significant contributions of First Nations peoples to Australian culture and society. Reading these books assist students in developing empathy and understanding of how our country has grown.

Upcoming Library Events:

Children's Book Council of Australia (CBCA) Children's Book Week®	24-28 August
Australian School Library Day	26 August
Last day for the Premiers' Reading Challenge	4 September

Book Week is an opportunity for school communities to recognise the vital role school libraries play in fostering a love of reading and making it part of everyday life. Access to high-quality, carefully selected books has a significant impact on student achievement, growth, and lifelong learning. In preparation for Book Week, the library has created a display celebrating this year's theme, Symphony of Stories. To connect the display with the Premiers' Reading Challenge, we have created musical notes featuring the names of students who have completed the challenge. Congratulations to the 29 students who have already read the 15 books required! As more students complete the challenge, the display will continue to grow until the wall is filled with musical notes.

This year's Australian School Library Day theme is School Libraries: The Best Investment. At WSC, we are investing in our students by prioritising reading and developing essential digital literacy skills. During the recent statewide stop-work day on 23 July, the school library became the heart of the school, welcoming all students who attended. The library served as a vibrant space for learning, creativity, imagination, and connection, highlighting the important role it plays in supporting our school community.

Sarah Barrett
Library Manager

Wellbeing Report

Wellbeing Focus: Navigating Friendship Challenges
Friendships are one of the most important parts of adolescence. They provide a sense of belonging, support during difficult times and opportunities to have fun. While healthy friendships can boost confidence and wellbeing, they can also become a source of stress. Learning how to navigate friendship challenges is an important life skill that takes time and practice.

It is normal for friendships to change as we grow. People develop new interests, join different friendship groups or simply grow apart. While these changes can be upsetting, they are a natural part of life and don't necessarily mean that anyone has done something wrong.

Some common friendship challenges include:

Feeling left out or excluded.
Misunderstandings or conflict.
Gossip and rumours.
Peer pressure to fit in.
Difficulties balancing friendships with school, sport and family commitments.

When friendship problems arise, it's important to remember that every situation has more than one perspective. Taking time to pause before reacting, listening to understand another person's point of view and having respectful conversations can often prevent small issues from becoming much bigger ones.

Social media can sometimes make friendship challenges more complicated. Messages can be misunderstood, photos and posts may trigger feelings of exclusion, and disagreements that begin online can quickly spill over into school. If something upsets you online, consider stepping away from your device, talking with someone you trust and avoiding responding when emotions are running high.

Healthy friendships are built on trust, kindness, respect and honesty. Good friends celebrate each other's successes, support one another through difficult times and respect personal boundaries. They should make you feel valued for who you are rather than pressured to change.

Parents and carers play an important role by encouraging open conversations about friendships. Rather than trying to solve every problem, listening without judgement and helping young people think through possible solutions can build confidence and resilience.

If friendship difficulties begin affecting your mood, attendance, learning or confidence, remember that support is available. Speaking with a trusted teacher, Year Level Leader or the Wellbeing Team can help you work through challenges before they become overwhelming.

Friendships won't always be perfect, but every challenge is an opportunity to develop empathy, communication skills and resilience qualities that will benefit us throughout life.